The document outlines essential pre-event preparation steps for presenters, focusing on venue logistics, content development, and day-of event readiness. It emphasizes understanding the venue layout, equipment needs, and audience accommodations while providing a checklist for materials and tasks to complete before and upon arrival. The guide aims to ensure a smooth and effective presentation experience by encouraging thorough preparation and organization.
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Checklist
The document outlines essential pre-event preparation steps for presenters, focusing on venue logistics, content development, and day-of event readiness. It emphasizes understanding the venue layout, equipment needs, and audience accommodations while providing a checklist for materials and tasks to complete before and upon arrival. The guide aims to ensure a smooth and effective presentation experience by encouraging thorough preparation and organization.
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PRE-EVENT PREPARATION
THE VENUE When you first book a venue or find out where you will be presenting, it’s important to learn as much about the venue and the room as you can ahead of time so you know how to prepare for the event.
Room Layout: Your Notes
What type of room will you be presenting in? (Meeting room with large table, classroom with desks, office room with tables, conference room with chairs only, with tables, etc.) How many participants does the room hold? How many will attend? Is there room for activities that would require participants to move out of their seats? Is there space to be able to stand in a circle? Could you form a circle with chairs? Are you able to move around the room and chairs? If tables are available, are they required? Time: How long do you have use of the room? Does this include setup and breakdown time? Is there another group using the room once you are finished, giving you an absolute “out” time? Are you charged extra if you over-stay your time? Are you able to come in long before your event time (or even the night before) in order to set up? Microphone: Will there be a microphone? Is it hand held, cordless, lapel mic? If there is no microphone, is the room small enough that you will not need one? Is it connected through a small speaker system or a built-in PA system? How does it operate? Will you operate it or does the venue provide an operator? If it is wireless or lapel, find out what batteries it takes and bring extras. If you’re brining your own microphone, make sure it’s compatible and you bring adapters and batteries. Visual Media: Is there a screen, wall or TV screen where a slide presentation or other visuals can be displayed? Does it use a projector or a television? Will you need your files to be on the venue’s computer system or are you able to plug in your own laptop? Or, perhaps tablet? If so, what adapter do you need in order to plug in? Are there compatibility issues with Mac vs PC? Other Visuals: Is a white board or flip chart available? If not, can you bring your own and if so where can you set it up? Do they provide the markers? (You should bring your own anyway.) If you’re bringing a small white board or flip chart, do they have an easel or do you need to bring one? Audio Media: Is there the ability to play music or other sound? If so, is it built into the microphone system, the visual projection system, or both? If you are playing video from the computer or slide show, where will the music play from? Do you need any additional equipment or adapters? If the venue does not have AV at all, is it possible to bring your own? If so, where in the room could it be set up? Would the audience be able to see and hear from that location? Parking: Where are guests of your event supposed to park? Is it marked? Restricted? Free or paid? Do they need a parking pass? Are there other restrictions? Check-in: Will guests need to check in at the venue, such as a hotel lobby, or do they report directly to the meeting room? Is there an area outside of your room where you or your organization can set up to check in guests? Marketing: Does your venue provide any form of marketing, such as an event directory, posting, or email campaign? Signage: What types of signage does your venue allow? Can you put up signs outside of your meeting room or are you limited to only inside? Can they be large exhibitor signs that stand on the floor? Large banners on the wall? Small posters only? Can you post signs outdoors pointing attendees in the right direction (such as yard stakes)? Whatever your ideas or needs are, make sure you ask. Food: Are you allowed to provide food to your attendees in your meeting room? If so, are there restrictions (such as snacks and water only)? Is there refrigeration available? Are you required to purchase meal plans from the venue? What are the costs? If food is provided by the venue, what do they make available for attendees with diet restrictions? Bathrooms: Where are bathrooms located in relation to your meeting room? Are they close? Are there signs? Will you need to explicitly explain at the beginning of your event? Noise: Are there restrictions on noise (restricting you from using loud music or having the group get noisy with cheering)? Will there be any groups nearby that would be creating noise that may interrupt with serious or reflective exercises you may be conducting? Accessibility: What accommodations are available for attendees with disabilities or other special needs. Lodging: If attendees will need to or may want to stay overnight, does the venue offer lodging? If so, will they offer a group/block rate? If not, are there lodging facilities nearby? (You may want to make suggestions for your guests.) THE CONTENT
Step in the Content Your Notes
Development Process Brainstorm (select your topic, identify main points, explore activities or add-ons) Research (the topic, the audience, the organization, statistics or other figures) Write the outline for your presentation (introduction material, main points, sub points, conclusion) Write out the full text (include as much detail as you would actually cover) Convert the text into a talk (either rewrite as a full speech or turn it into a working workshop outline—which you do not recite verbatim) Determine materials, equipment, activities, worksheets or other add-ons needed Rehearse and practice (make it as real-life as possible) Review for content and timing (track how much time it takes for each segment) Create a time schedule for your presentation, including estimates for each section, breaks, activities, etc. Critically analyze every aspect to ensure your presentation flows, presents relevant, timely information, and holds audience interest Edit, rehearse again, and polish Prepare final draft of your notes, prompts, or slides DAY OF THE EVENT (LAST 24 HOURS) BEING PREPARED Plan to have everything completed, prepared, and packed the night before the event.
Item Your needs and notes Done!
Cloths: dress professional (depending on the audience) but also comfortably. Choose comfortable shoes. Bring backups if there is doubt about comfort. Bring a jacket. Wear layers. Visual prompts: have all visual prompts prepared in advance. Bring 2 copies. Email yourself a copy of your final notes. Slide presentations: Have your slides loaded onto the laptop you will be playing them from. Have a copy on a thumb drive you will use to put the file onto another computer. Email yourself a copy of the final slides. Make sure your slides do not use fancy fonts that will not work when you open the file on another computer that does not have the font. Confirm compatibility (such as Mac vs PC and .pptx vs .ppt or other slide program). Equipment: Pack all equipment you will be audio-visual equipment ______ bringing ahead of time. This includes: laptop or tablet with content ______ microphone ______ batteries ______ ______ ______
Materials: Prepare and pack all giveaways, prices, or products ______
materials you will need ahead of cell phone charger ______ time. This includes: Square or PayPal or other plug-in swiper for accepting credit card printed worksheets or handouts ______ purchases ______ flipchart or whiteboard, markers ______ change (small bills) if accepting notepads or pens for attendees ______ payment with cash ______ business cards/ marketing materials ______ receipt book or method to record pens, paperclips, stapler, paper, payments ______ clipboards, or other office supplies sign up sheet for email addresses, you need _____________________ ______ raffles, etc. ______ products you may be selling ______ ______ items to decorate your speakers table ______ (if applicable) including branding, ______ décor, table cloth, books ______ ______ name tags ______ ______ your own name tag or lanyard ______ ______ signs or posters ARRIVAL AT VENUE
Task Your Notes Done!
Arrive early to become familiar with the room, to set up, and to make any changes Rearrange the room layout to meet your needs and ask for help if necessary Assess the location of the room and if any signage needed to be placed elsewhere to lead attendees to the correct location Evaluate the situation with food, including where it can or will be set up, timing, etc Become familiar with the area where you will be presenting from Find out where you will sit before being introduced Determine your safe space, where you can take a few minutes to gather your thoughts, meditate, listen to your inspirational song, pep-talk yourself in the mirror, or conduct whatever pre-presentation mental preparation exercise you wish in PRIVATE Decide where you will place your notes or other props or materials Set up your audio-visual equipment and test the visual, the audio Check the distance from the front to the back of the room to determine how well the audience will be able to see you and your visuals and hear the audio Set up any other equipment or materials, such as signage, your own table, snacks, etc Test your microphone and adjust volume, if it’s wireless or a lapel mic, make sure there are backup batteries Recheck your audio-visual materials